Diagnostic laparoscopy is a procedure that allows a health care provider to look directly at the contents of a patient's abdomen or pelvis, including the fallopian tubes, ovaries, uterus, small bowel, large bowel, appendix, liver, and gallbladder.
The purpose of this laparoscopy is to actually see if a problem exists that has not been found with noninvasive tests. Inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), appendix (appendicitis), pelvic organs (pelvic inflammatory disease), or tumors of the ovaries may be diagnosed laparoscopically.
A laparoscope is an instrument through which structures within the abdomen and pelvis are visible by the surgeon during laparoscopy. A small surgical incision or port is made in the abdominal wall, for example, below the navel, to permit the laparoscope to enter the abdomen or pelvis. The laparoscope typically has a diameter of 5 to 10 mm and is in the form of a long and narrow rod. It uses a high intensity light, such as xenon or halogen, and 3-chip technology to observe the inside of the abdomen on a high resolution video screen. The laparoscope is manipulated after entry via the port within the abdomen to direct the view seen by the surgeon.
Due to the physical structure and profile of the laparoscope, it often obstructs free movement of the surgeon during surgery. During lengthy surgical procedures, this may cause the surgeon discomfort by having to manoeuvre himself or herself around the laparoscope. It is also difficult for the surgeon to perform the surgery in an ergonomic friendly manner since one of the surgeon's arms must arch across the laparoscope to manipulate a contralateral operating instrument.
One port is solely used by the laparoscope. Other ports are for surgical instruments, usually for the left and right hand of the surgeon. Thus at present, at least three ports are required for surgery. In some cases, four to six ports may be required. It is therefore desirable to minimise the number of ports required to make surgery less invasive and reduce patient trauma.
Similar problems are encountered in thoracoscopic surgery with a thoracoscope.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,879 discloses a relatively large bulky device insertable into a structure having a lumen that includes a first housing, at least one functional element for use during a minimal access procedure, and a securing element for removably securing the insertable device to or against a wall of structure having a lumen. U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,879 discloses that the securing element may be used to secure the insertable device to the abdominal wall with corresponding magnets placed outside the body to hold the device against the abdominal wall, a clamp, an adhesive substance. U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,879 is primarily concerned with securing the inserted device to a fixed position on the abdominal wall. U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,879 suffers from one disadvantage in that it does not permit easy movement of the inserted device within the body once it has been fixed to the abdominal wall by the clamp or adhesive substance.